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Industry News - Germany
German Online Casino Looks To Loophole In Internet Gambling Ban
08/04/2008: A Casinos Austria-owned online casino will soon begin to offer its games to residents in the German state of Lower Saxony following a court victory last week, despite the general prohibition on internet gambling in Germany under the Interstate Treaty which came into force in January 2008. The Treaty’s draconian provisions may mean the internet casino is short-lived, but its very existence could further undermine the already maligned Treaty, say legal experts.
Battle Over German Interstate Treaty Heading For Home Front Skirmishes
09/01/2008: The German Interstate Gambling Treaty came into force as of January 1, despite doubts as to how enforceable the legislation will ultimately turn out to be. However, while some operators are pinning their hopes on European Commission action to overturn the treaty, a European decision may be years off and experts believe the first challenges are likely to emerge via domestic court action within the next few weeks.
German Court Confusion Fuels Interstate Treaty Challenge
19/12/2007: A decision upholding the validity of Bwin’s old East German sports betting licence to offer internet betting could shelter the company from the worst effects of the impending ban on all internet gambling in Germany established by the Interstate Lotteries Treaty, according to one expert. However, the latest decision adds further speculation to exactly how the treaty will be applied in Germany in early 2008.
Germany Moves To Prohibit Tennis Betting
21/11/2007: The governing body overseeing tennis in Germany has quadrupled fines for betting on the sport by players and their entourages. Following debate at its annual congress over the weekend the German Tennis Federation (DTB) announced yesterday that it would step up measures to curb betting on the sport.
Bwin Boosted By German Court
08/11/2007: The Administrative Court of Appeal in Hesse has cast further doubt on the looming prohibition of internet gambling in Germany by overturning a state-wide ban imposed on Bwin on the grounds that such a ban is “technically unfeasible”.
Storm Clouds Gather Over German Treaty
01/11/2007: As the first of Germany’s sixteen Lander formally adopts the Interstate Treaty, failure to notify the European Commission of key provisions lead some observers to doubt how enforceable the legislation will turn out to be. Furthermore, an announcement by Bwin this week suggests that the Commission’s will not be the only challenge to a Treaty that is scheduled to come into force in January 2008.
Schleswig-Holstein Backpedals As German Treaty Nears Adoption
23/10/2007: State parliaments across Germany look ready to approve the adoption of a controversial treaty that will bolster the states’ lottery and betting monopolies, despite opposition from groups within Germany and the European Commission. The move will effectively bury online gambling in Europe’s biggest economy.
Lower Saxony Sees Online License Decision Reversed In Court
28/08/2007: The Northwestern German State of Lower Saxony will be forced to grant an online casino license to Spielbanken Niedersachsen GmbH (SNG), a company which it once owned, following a decision last week by the Administrative Court in Hanover.
German Courts On Hold For ECJ Guidance
21/08/2007: A High Court decision last week boosted the hopes of a number of private betting operators still facing charges brought by German authorities before early 2006 but a spectacular backlog of cases looks set to accumulate over the coming years as a third sports betting case is referred to the European Court of Justice.
The Impossible Prohibition On Internet Gambling In Germany
17/07/2007: Recent events in Germany have brought the adoption of the controversial Interstate Lotteries Treaty closer, but technical considerations, combined with very real doubts surrounding the legality of the Treaty’s provisions, are leading German courts to reconsider the viability of a prohibition on Internet gambling.
